Pete Carroll is in the witness protection program!

DAMN YOU PETE CARROLL!!! WHY DID YOU TRY TO ICE THE KICKER AT THE END OF THE GAME?!?!?! THAT NEVER WORKS!!! ALL YOU DID WAS GIVE THE ATLANTA KICKER A FREE PRACTICE SWING!!! YOU FOOL PETE CARROLL!!! YOU FOOL!!!!

According to ESPN Stats and Info, “since 2001 (including the playoffs), kickers have successfully hit field goals at an 81 percent rate when no timeout was called prior to the snap, and 76 percent when a timeout was called.” So in this case, there was a small advantage to icing the kicker. However, “the average distance on “iced” kicks is 39 yards, compared to 36 yards on kicks on which timeout was not called,” which mitigates some of the difference.

In overtime, the difference is more noticeable.” The average distance of kicks after timeouts and kicks with no timeouts called is about the same (37 yards). In that instance, ‘icing the kicker’ by calling timeout works. Kickers hit only 69 percent when ‘iced,’ 87 percent when they are not.”

But it definitely seems to fail the eye test and I have many, many more games in my foggy memory where icing the kicker resulted in calling the TO on what would have been a miss followed by a winning FG than I recall games where the opposite happened.

But it definitely seems to fail the eye test and I have many, many more games in my foggy memory where icing the kicker resulted in calling the TO on what would have been a miss followed by a winning FG than I recall games where the opposite happened.

What goes around comes around ... kickers get used to it and expect it, so it loses its effect. Could well be now that NOT icing would disrupt more, as it's unexpected?

I thought they were crazy to go for a 49 yarder, thought they should have gotten another 5-10 yards safely.

My son wanted Seattle to take a knee at the goal line before Lynch scored to kill some clock. Told him I disagreed because they had trouble punching it in earlier.

In the end it doesn't matter. This is the 49ers year anyway.

SAR I

Your son wasn't alone. I was thinking the same thing.
It's funny because if Lynch's td is called back to the 1 inch line because of the fumble. Seahawks run more clock out and win the game yesterday. Risky but I think at that point, they score from inches out. The 31 seconds left Atlanta some time to play with and two crucial timeouts.

There is nothing wrong trying to ice the kicker but don't let the kicker get a free practice kick.

This. The kicker has to feel a profound sense of relief at that point, all the nerves that went into missing that kick are gone, they have to know and be relieved on some level by the fact that they are statistically unlikely to miss again.

I think a better play is to try to get the kicker to see you standing near the official with your hands poised to signal a TO, while telling the ref 'I'm not calling a timeout.' etc.

Fans are always great at 2nd guessing when things don't work the way there should like with the Jets in the 2nd round of the Championship game in Pittsburg. Doesn't mean that u don't play the percentages when the games calls for them.
In this thread thus far fans have criticized Carroll for blitzing on those 2 downs with 28 seconds left in the game. They have critized him for trying to iced the kicker. Nobody today is criticizing Atlanta for not running the ball more when the score was 27-14 a few minutes into the 4th quarter.

You throw to get the lead, but you run to win and the Falcons threw after they had a sizeable lead and it almost cost them the game.At 27 - 14 the Falcons could have run atleast 2 minutes off the clock had they just continue to run the ball. The Falcons threw and it was intercepted on 1st down giving the ball right back to seattle who had just driven the length of the field twice before.

Football is about blocking, Tackling and playing the percentages. Yesterday, the Falcons didn't play the percentages and it should have cost them the game. The reason it didn't was in the end the Seahawks didn't play the percentages, chosing to Blitz on those 2 last plays instead of flooding the zone and playing prevent.

The whistle came in well before the kick, and if anything the atl kicker could have been flagged for delay of game for actually kicking it. I would guess that is what Carroll was upset about.

The falcons should have tried for another few yards. Roll Ryan right, have two options crossing towards the sidelines, if neither are there throw it away. But good clock and field mgt is too much to expect in the NFL these days, the falcon's coach is lucky the kicker made the fg.

DAMN YOU PETE CARROLL!!! WHY DID YOU TRY TO ICE THE KICKER AT THE END OF THE GAME?!?!?! THAT NEVER WORKS!!! ALL YOU DID WAS GIVE THE ATLANTA KICKER A FREE PRACTICE SWING!!! YOU FOOL PETE CARROLL!!! YOU FOOL!!!!

It wasn't that he called the timeout (because if he hadn't, he would have been criticized for NOT calling a TO). The problem was WHEN he called it. I've always heard that you want to call the timeout BEFORE the kicking team is set and before the kicker has a chance to take a practice kick. Carroll waited too long.

Because he and his Defense coordinator are both very smart. When a team needs large chunks of yards and you go into the stupid 3 man prevent defense you end up with a couple linebackers standing around 10 yards deep doing nothing while the QB has all day to throw. I'd blitz as well under that circumstance.

It wasn't that he called the timeout (because if he hadn't, he would have been criticized for NOT calling a TO). The problem was WHEN he called it. I've always heard that you want to call the timeout BEFORE the kicking team is set and before the kicker has a chance to take a practice kick. Carroll waited too long.

The rule is yet another stupid rule that detracts from the actual game, puts more power in coaches hands and causes endless problems for the officials. Coaches should not be allowed to call time outs in my opinion at all. If they want to holler to a player on the filed to call one fine, but nothing should come from the sidelines.